Could This Flat Tire Solution Be Designed Into Cars?

For those who don’t have the knowledge or ability, changing a flat tire can be a real hassle. It may not be so bad in a parking lot, but when you’re in the middle of a highway with cars zipping past, it can get a little stressful.

Instead of popping out all excited and changing the tire on the spot, the team at Ethar Co. – an idea and production company based in Malaysia – has come up with a solution: the Running Tire. And it makes us consider how it could be designed into the car itself. Have a look:

The idea is pretty simple – wheels for your wheel. Drive your flat tire onto a cradle with three tiny wheels and drive somewhere it can safely be changed.

Though it’s pretty clever and looks kinda retro, it isn’t a permanent solution to your flat tire problem… for obvious reasons. Why, you ask? Well, the Running Tire max speed is 25 MPH (40km/h) and while it can make simple turns and handle small bumps, don’t expect to go all Fast and Furious with cradles Bungied to your wheel.

It seems impractical for most circumstances, but for a lot of drivers who don’t know how to change a flat tire, or elderly who can’t, this tire cradle might be just the solution they need to get off the road safely.

Outside of the videos, there isn’ t much info on carrying capacity or acceptable wheel size. Still, for an age-old problem such as this, it’s an interesting solution. One that makes us consider why it hasn’t been or how it could be adapted into the design of the car. As an automated design within the car’s fender, wheel hub, or rocker panel it would remove the need to get out of the car, make deployment easier, and get you on your way faster. Now that would be great to see.

Purchase info is lacking, but should you want to check out the Running Tire or contact Ethar about the product, you can find it on the Ethar Co. website or YouTube channel.